Pay per view television systems are now well known in the art. Thus, by some interactivity by the viewer, payment is arranged for a designated program and access is given to the viewer, generally in the form of a deciphering key to a scrambled transmission. In such systems copyright protection is also well known, so that one-time viewing without replay is assured, generally by preventing recording on a video recorder or by monitoring the viewers equipment for re-runs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,272, May 14, 1991 to J. R. Stubbs, et al. for HOME VIDEO SYSTEM describes a cable system for making available various programs for home viewing.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,321, Dec. 26, 1989 to N. Seth-Smith, et al. for COMMUNICATIONS FORMAT FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION SYSTEM PERMITTING TRANSMISSION OF INDIVIDUAL TEXT MESSAGES TO SUBSCRIBERS, encrypted messages of limited content are sent over a satellite communication channel to an authorized receiver station. This sort of system as exemplified in related U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,770, Sep. 12, 1989 is capable of processing business transactions between a company home office and several branch offices.
However, such prior art systems are in general operable only for reception of limited length messages, or for viewing preannounced programs of greater length that are available at scheduled times for large audiences such as first run movies or sports events, and leave little flexibility for the viewer to make custom program choices at preferred viewing times. Thus, there has not been prior motivation to develop a comprehensive system for nationwide distribution upon request to individual homes of movies and like program materials of a cost effective nature for bearing the considerable cost of the several hours of air time required for custom order of a movie, and the peripheral costs of individual storage and processing of a comprehensive program source.
Even if such systems were available in the prior art, they would require at the local subscriber homes such expensive and complex intercommunication equipment that the subscriber station cost would be excessive. This is particularly true if adequate controls are in effect for protecting private communications before release with assurance against piracy. Also local subscriber systems do not conventionally have adequate communication capabilities with the program source outside of telephone line connections.
Furthermore, there has been no comprehensive custom order system for home view of movies and the like for sending the movies only to one or a few individual subscribers who wish to schedule custom ordered programs at a delivery time outside published broadcast schedules. Nor has there been facilities for downloading to the subscriber adequate information and local system control functions for placing and implementing an order. Technology changes are so rapid that there has been difficulty enabling the subscriber's facility to co-act in a program delivery system without obsolescence.
It is now feasible to provide nationwide two-way communication for interactive video data services over a satellite network for access by very large audiences as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,267, Mar. 31, 1992 to Fernando Morales-Garza for WIDE AREA REAL-TIME T-V AUDIENCE POLLING SYSTEM WITH LOCAL AREA STATIONS LINKED BY SATELLITE. Thus, there is now a very large potential nationwide audience for requesting custom ordered video programs for home display with an interactive home response unit. Also this satellite system, as improved by that of the parent application, provides facilities for privately communicating with individual ones of a very large number of nationwide subscribers for exchange of information and for comprehensive control of a subscriber station to process external data in accordance with payment and operating condition restrictions imposed upon the transfer of data.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a satellite transmission system for renting program materials such as full length movies from a comprehensive warehouse of materials that can broadcast special programs upon request to individual subscribers.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an interactive video data processing system with a nationwide audience having the capacity to deliver custom ordered full feature programs such as movies to individual subscribers upon demand.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system for downloading custom ordered movies and the like from a central storehouse facility to one or more selected subscribers in a nationwide network together with adequate subscriber system controls for decrypting, controlling unauthorized copying, notifying the subscriber of delivery times, confirming an order and other related interactive communications related to the transaction.
A still further object of the invention is to provide at a reasonable price custom rental of unscheduled movies and full length programs to home television viewers.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be found throughout the following description, claims and accompanying drawings.